Revenge or Justice?
by bigwilly7
Summary: A young boy is thrust into a world of espionage and secrets as he struggles to find the truth about his parents. Conflicted with emotions, he sets out to achieve the near impossible tasks he has set before himself. But when the time comes, will he ultimately make the right decision? With Pokemon by his side, anything is possible...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone.**  
**This chapter will show you all the way that I write. It's about rising up and overcoming the odds to defeat the opponenet. Some of the main characters will be introduced and they will be further developed in later chapters. Also included is a short battle showcasing some Pokemon. I hope you enjoy it!**  
**~bigwilly**

The Pokemon crashed into the dusty ground of the school courtyard, fainted from the Shadow Sneak delivered its opponent. It was hot day at St. Marcellin's College as the Australian sun beat down on the Brisbane high school. White shirts were wet with sweat and gold ties had long been loosened as the students celebrated the end of the school term with Pokemon battles.

"Hot damn, I thought I had that one," said 15-year-old Jack Perry, who had just recently lost. He recalled his Pokemon back into its Poke ball and trudged over to the bench where his friends sat. He slumped down onto the bench and took a sip of water from his water bottle, his straight blonde hair dripping with sweat. Jack had attracted a lot of girls with that blonde hair. He was one of many Grade 10 students at St. Marcellin's College but was one of the less talented battlers. He stood at 5'7" and had a lean body from years of cross country running. His girlfriend Claire Baker sat beside him, her long black hair in stark contrast with his. She was 5'3" and had perfect facial features, just like Jack.

"Don't worry about it Jack, Mark has always been the strongest battler at the school," she said, comforting Jack after his loss.

Said battler, Mark, stood at one end of the yard surrounded by his crew of mates, not trying to hide the smug grin he had on his face. Mark was a very large young man, at least 6 feet tall with a strong physique. He was an impressive battler and the worst part about it was that he knew it, often flaunting his skills arrogantly by beating other students. Mark was your typical school bully, not too bright but always competent when it came to beating some poor kid, either with fists or with Pokemon. He called out across that yard, "Any other losers want to battle the king?"

"You shouldn't have taught your Haunter Shadow Punch," came a voice from Jack's left. Jack turned to his best friend.

"And why not?" replied Jack, a little annoyed that his companion could criticize him when he had just sat there the whole duration of the battle. "You said it yourself; moves that are the same type as the Pokemon gain an attack bonus so Shadow Punch should've knocked out his Bannette."

The boy smiled. "That's true, I did say that. But you have to play to your Pokemon's strengths. Haunter's attack power is shit, you should've used Shadow Ball."

Jack sighed. "Shut up Will. You couldn't have beaten him."

Claire sensed an argument brewing and put herself between the two boys. "Let's just calm down here. Jack battled well! Anyone who stands up to that arrogant dickhead should be congratulated."

Will leaned forward. "He annoys you that much?"

"Yes! He constantly bullied me and my friends back in primary school. Look, he's doing it now."

Jack and Will looked over to where Claire was pointing and noticed Mark and his friends looming over a group of younger students. It was clear by the look on the young boy's faces that they were getting a hard time.

Jack stood up. "I'll take care of this."

"Jack, no!" Claire reached out but Jack had already stridden off towards Mark.

Jack walked up to the Grade 12 students, trying to act confident in front of the rest of the students grouped in the courtyard. "HEY!" he shouted. Mark turned around to face Jack and it was only then that Jack realised just how enormous Mark really was. He could see the muscles bulging beneath his shirt and a fresh layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. Not to mention he was backed up by five of his mates.

"You want something, retard?" Mark asked in his snide voice.

Jack mustered up all his courage as he replied, "Yeah mate, leave those kids alone!"

A moment passed as Mark and his friends stared at Jack. It felt like hours. And then they started to laugh. "Are you serious? How old are you 14? Piss off."

Jack was determined to put a stop to the bullying and pressed on indignantly. "Stop being a faggot to everyone! Seriously, your macho act doesn't impress anyone."

A few meters away, Claire looked worryingly at Will. "He's going to get hurt!"

Will said nothing and continued to watch the encounter with a concentrated look on his face.

Mark took a step closer to Jack, angry now that the boy had insulted him. "What the fuck did you just say to me? You just insult me? This guy insulted me." He turned to his friends who just nodded and glared at Jack. Jack was seriously starting to regret challenging Mark.

"L-Look, just stop being such a jerk to everyone, okay?" Jack managed to say.

Mark smirked. "Jesus mate I hope your fighting skills aren't as bad at your battling skills." And he threw his fist right into Jack's face.

Jack threw himself out of the way but he wasn't fast enough. Mark's fist bounced off the side of his head and Jack was thrown to the ground. He scrambled up, eager now to let out his anger at Mark. He responded with a punch of his own but Mark just grabbed his arm with his meaty fist and shoved Jack back on the ground. The rest of Mark's friends joined in and soon Jack was getting kicked from all sides. The rest of the students in the courtyard had noticed the brawl going on and were watching from a distance.

Claire shouted out something that was inaudible to the pair, the fight taking over their senses. Will's hands balled up into fists at watching his friend getting hurt and he jumped up off the bench.

"Hey dipshit!"

Mark and Jack stopped fighting and fifty pairs of eyes swiveled quickly in their sockets to look at who had called out. Mark backed off and stared. Jack got up, his lip cut and dirt covering his white school shirt. He appeared unharmed except for a small bruise on his face and walked over to stand by Claire who proceeded to clean him up.

"Are you talking to me?" asked Mark.

"Yeah mate, I'm talking to you."

Mark scoffed at the fact that someone could call him names after he had just beaten the last person to do the same thing. He pointed a thick finger threateningly at Will. "Buddy, you better watch your tongue or you're going to end up like your friend over there."

Will ignored him. "Mark, I've had enough of your cocky bullshit and I'm sure everyone here has as well." He gestured at the rest of the students around him. "We're all having a good time and you're really starting to piss me off so I have a deal for you."

Mark's eyes narrowed. "I'm listening."

"You think you're so top shit at battling? I'll battle you."

Immediately whispers broke out around the courtyard. Some were excited, some were doubtful. Will ignored them and kept his eyes locked with Mark's, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Dude, wrong move! I'm the best there is in this school and you're what, the Grade 10 nerd who hasn't battled in his life. You've got to be joking!"

"No joke, I'm challenging you. The loser has to leave the school for the rest of the afternoon." Will smiled. "And be embarrassed in front of everyone."

Mark shook his head in wonder. "Alright buddy, if you say so. Just don't get your hopes up. I still have to bash you for insulting me."

The two broke eye contact and retreated to prepare for the battle. The rest of the students scrambled eagerly for the best seats for which to watch the upcoming show. Will walked back to where Claire and Jack were standing. They stared at him. Jack opened his mouth and a moment passed before he said anything.

"You're insane."

"How?"

"You just challenged Mark to a Pokemon battle! You've hardly ever battled!"

Will just laughed. "Guess you're in for a surprise then."

"No seriously Will, all of Mark's Pokemon are strong. You've only got one Pokemon."

"One Pokemon is all I need."

Claire grabbed Will's arm, not wanting to see her friend humiliate himself. She knew enough about Pokemon to know when someone was outmatched.

"Will, Jack's right. The last time you battled was almost a year ago and everyone has seen how good Mark is. Please don't make a fool of yourself."

"Just chill out guys. Okay so maybe my last battle was a while ago, but that doesn't mean I stopped training! And trust me, I train well. I just don't show off." He gave them a wink and walked over to the edge of the courtyard to face Mark, who was at the other end.

Mark still had the smug grin on his face. Will wondered how it would look after the battle was over. Mark called out, "One on one sound good?"

Will nodded. "All good."

"Actually, I'm starting to feel a little sorry for you, so you know what? I'll let you choose your Pokemon after I've chosen mine. It won't make much of a difference but it'll just make it even more hilarious when I beat you to a pulp."

Will just shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

"Then let's do this you loser!"

Mark's battle cry came out loud and clear and the rest of the students ceased talking and waited for the two trainers to call out their Pokemon. It was in these moments before the battle that William Lee could truly appreciate the atmosphere of a Pokemon battle. The 15 year old stood casually at his end of the courtyard, his tie fluttering softly in the summer breeze that had appeared, which was a welcome comfort seeing as he'd had to wear trousers all day. He was 5'4" and had the body of a rugby player; well-built with strong muscles and a lean figure. His brown hair swayed in the breeze and his green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He had seen how Mark battled and was confident he could win this.

Mark was the first to throw the Poke ball. It burst open in midair and a white light exploded from it, contorting into the shape of Mark's Pokemon. The light faded and in its place was a blue bat-like Pokemon. Its wing membranes and ear insides were purple. It had a large mouth with four fangs, and a large red tongue. A short pair of legs was attached to the bottom of its torso and only possessed one toe each. The Golbat cried out in a screeching tone while Mark still grinned cockily. Around the courtyard students had begun talking about the scary yet impressive Pokemon that had been summoned. Mark strode out onto the battlefield and picked up the now empty Poke ball that lay at Golbat's feet.

Jack's face immediately dropped when he saw what Will was going to face. "This isn't good. Will's Pokemon isn't going to win this." Claire just looked more worried than she did before.

Will, however, just smiled that casual smile again and drew a small Poke ball from his pocket. It was about three centimetres in diameter and shone in the sunlight. Will pressed the even smaller button at its centre and it expanded to the size of a baseball. He didn't throw the ball, merely held it aloft in his hand. A moment passed before the same white light exploded from the Poke ball. It flew over to the battlefield and materialised into Will's only Pokemon, a small, blue, dog-like Pokemon. Its legs and torso were coloured black and it wore a yellow band around its neck. Rounded bumps were present on the back of its forepaws. It had a strip of black across its face, resembling a mask, and its eyes were a bright red hue. It stood calmly on its back legs and waited.

Again, the crowd began to talk about the choice of Pokemon. Many of the spectators were puzzled at why Will had chosen a Riolu to battle a Golbat. Didn't he know Fighting was weak to Flying? Claire and Jack continued watching, growing increasingly anxious and dreading the end of the battle.

At the other end of the field, Mark burst out laughing. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I let you know what Pokemon I was battling with and you chose a Pokemon weak to it? My God, you must be the worst trainer in the whole school!

Will didn't acknowledge the vile taunts coming from his opponent and called out to Riolu, "Hey Riolu!" The Pokemon turned and look at Will. "Good luck mate!"

Riolu smiled at his friend and gave a small wave. He turned back to face Golbat and immediately resumed his calm and focused appearance.

Just as Will had assumed, Mark didn't hesitate in beginning the battle. "Golbat, use Wing Attack!" he cried.

Golbat's wings began to glow a dull white colour as it poured its energy into the attack. It soared into the air and flew straight for Riolu. Mark was grinning again.

Will stood still, resembling the demeanour of his Pokemon, and waited a moment before softly saying "Ice Punch."

Riolu's fist began to glow an icy blue colour yet he remained still, unfazed by Golbat charging directly at him. A second before Golbat's wing smashed into it, Riolu tensed his legs and jumped, just high enough to dodge Golbat's attack. It angled downwards and smashed his fist into Golbat's back, pummelling it into the ground with the icy blue force. A giant dust cloud erupted around the confrontation and everyone went silent, even Mark. The crowd waited in eager anticipation to see the final result.

The dust cleared and the results of the short but exciting battle were revealed. Golbat lay on the ground face down, unmoving, a blue bruise on its back. Riolu had returned to his position of standing still, calm and focused. A blue aura still lingered around his deadly paw. Everyone in the courtyard had stopped muttering and was completely and utterly shocked at how such a turn of events could occur. Mark was as still as a statue, a blank look smothering his smug attitude. Will just smiled his casual smile as Riolu walked back to Will's side. Will had won.

Jack was the first one to clap. The sound echoed throughout the vicinity and one by one more people joined in. It was a ripple effect, as one single clap built up into a tumultuous roar. Students were cheering and rushing over to where Will was standing and they completely enveloped him. There were people patting him on the back that he had never even talked to before. A person who had defeated Mark was legendary throughout the school.

Across the yard, Mark was on his knees, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He shakily raised his arm and pressed the button on his Poke ball. Still with that same blank look on his face he pointed it at Golbat. A red beam of energy shot out from the Poke ball and enveloped the Pokemon, transferring it into the capsule. And he just sat there on his haunches.

Will noticed this and strode over to him with Riolu sitting on his shoulder, the crowd separating at his command. He reached Mark and, with everyone watching, extended his hand. Mark's head turned very slowly and he stared at Will. A moment passed, two. Finally, Mark moved. His fists curled into balls, his brow furrowed and his eyes became clouded with fury. His reputation ruined, his pride destroyed, Mark was extremely furious that he had been beaten by a mere boy. Will noticed all of this, his perception and observation a key trait in his battling skills. He retracted his hand and took a step sideways as Mark lunged upwards, his fist flying everywhere desperately trying to connect with something. Mark turned and his eyes locked with Wills. He lunged forward, his anger contorting his facial figures. Will made no attempt to stop him, merely whispering two words. Riolu, however, leaped from his shoulder and slammed his palm into Mark's chest. A single shockwave rippled outwards at the point of contact and Mark fell backwards onto the ground, dazed and confused from the Force Palm attack. His friends cursed and ran over to help him. Will simply strode off. All this happened in less than a minute.

The crowd once again surrounded Will but now that the fever of the battle had faded there was a calmer atmosphere of praise.

"Nice work."

"Congratulations Will!"

"That was amazing!"

Will smiled modestly upon hearing those words and walked over to Jack and Claire who were both grinning from ear to ear. Jack embraced Will.

"That was amazing, Will. Sorry I doubted you. Sorry _we_ doubted you." Claire smiled apologetically at her friend.

The three of them sat down on the nearby bench. Will suddenly noticed that he was quite tired, and just by looking at Riolu sitting in his lap he could tell his Pokemon was sharing the same feeling.

Several moments passed while the three just sat there, the afternoon sun now just a warm influence on the temperature. Finally Will spoke "Well that was fun."

Jack burst out laughing "Was it ever! That was one of the most amazing battles I've ever seen! How did Riolu get so strong?"

"And how did it get so fast?" Claire added "That battle was over in seconds!"

"Dad knows a lot about training Pokemon," replied Will "He passed on his techniques to me when I first caught Riolu. So what I did was train Riolu's already high attack and speed."

Jack nodded "That explains why Mark lost. He never took the time to improve his Pokemon's stats."

"Exactly."

The trio sat on the bench, chatting to each other and enjoying each other's company while Riolu slept on Will's lap. Slowly, the other students drifted to their own homes until eventually, in the beautiful pink glow of the setting sun, they were the last ones left. And then they went home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone.**  
**This chapter is more focused on the daily life of our main character whilst also introducing some new ones. There is another fight in this one but of a different kind to the last one. Also, there is some young adult themes present in this chapter such as alcohol, swearing and violence. I hope you enjoy it!**  
**~bigwilly**

The screech of an alarm pierced the morning like nails over a chalkboard. At least, it did to Will anyway. He slowly, very slowly, opened his eyes and cursed himself for not turning off his Monday morning alarm. He rolled sideways in his bed and picked up his phone, shutting off the alarm and noticing the time. It stood out like a beacon in the darkness. Seven o'clock was much too early to be getting up on the holidays.

Before he could resume his peaceful sleep his mother walked in, clothed in a simple sky blue dress with her dark brown hair tied back in a bunch. Nell Palmer smiled at seeing her sun struggle in the morning and threw open the curtains covering the only window in his room.

"I thought I heard your alarm go off," she said to him. "Come help me with breakfast."

Will groaned and shaded his hand from the sun. "Please Mum, the alarm was an accident. I'm going back to sleep." He smothered himself with his doona as he snuggled back down into his bed.

Nell laughed. "No you are not young man, you're helping me with breakfast!" She walked over to the bed and threw off his doona, letting it land on the floor next to a pile of dirty clothes from the previous day. "And clean your room. This place smells disgusting." She was still the strong independent woman who kept her maiden name and bossed her son around.

Will just groaned again. He wearily sat up in his bed and looked around the room. He looked at his desk in the opposite corner, at the Toshiba laptop sitting on top of it, along with his school books, Nintendo 3DS and a whole bunch of random crap he had dumped there over the past month. His eyes fell on Riolu, still sound asleep on the end of his bed. He envied the blue Pokemon.

Will got up before he had a chance to fall asleep again and trudged over to his cupboard. He fished out a bright green t-shirt to cover his bare chest and headed upstairs and into the kitchen. He passed the window in the hall and looked out. A man stood outside his house across the road watering the garden. He was bald and had a small goatee. A large scar covered his left eye, forcing it closed. A war wound maybe. What Will found most unnerving, however, was how the man watered his garden almost every single day. Sure, he may have just had a very green thumb but the way he dressed all in black said otherwise. His single eye constantly darted around in its socket, drinking in the surroundings like a sponge. _Creepy_, Will thought.

He tore his eyes away from the window and walked into the kitchen. The smell of French toast wafted under his nose and his mind wandered from his previous troubles. His mother made the best French toast.

Nell was at the stove, bread sizzling on the flying pan and creating the delicious aroma that Will was ingesting. Her blue dress stood out against the bright white kitchen. Will dragged himself to the bench and waited. It had been three days since his battle with Mark last Friday and he hadn't seen a trace of Mark anywhere on Facebook, which was unusual for someone who often liked to voice his opinions on others frequently. It had seemed that he was taking his defeat quite personally. Will, on the other hand, had taken advantage of all the spare time he'd had and done absolutely nothing, much to his parent's displeasure. Without the need to wake up for school every morning, sleeping was now Will's favourite pastime.

He ate breakfast as Riolu wandered into the kitchen and immediately the Pokemon's interest was piqued at the smell of the French toast. He too enjoyed the meal as much as his trainer. Nell noticed and placed a plate layered with steaming toast on the bench. "Eat up Riolu!"

Riolu bounded onto the seat with joy and ripped into his meal, clearly enjoying himself. He gave a satisfied whine.

Nell finished cooking the last of the toast and wiped her hands on her apron. She leant in to talk to her son.

"So what do you plan on doing today?" she asked him.

Will shrugged. "Sit around I guess, do what I've been doing for the past couple of days. And then I have Daniel's party tonight."

Nell nodded her head. "Sounds good, so you're not doing anything until the party tonight?"

"Yep."  
"Excellent! You can come with me to pick up some files for Dad at your uncle's house."

Will shrugged again. "Alright."

Nell flashed her son another smile and left the kitchen. Will finished his breakfast with Riolu and headed back downstairs to his room. He headed through the door and kept walking, straight into his bed which he fell into with childish pleasure, and he fell asleep. The man across the road still watered his garden.

Will woke at eleven in the morning, feeling much better than he did before. He was looking forward to seeing his uncle. He got up out of bed and headed across the hall to the bathroom, locking himself in. A five minute cold shower later and he was wide awake. Who could have warm showers in this heat?

He dressed himself in an orange tank top, black shorts and thongs and headed upstairs for some more food. He stopped at the window again. The man was gone. Will breathed a sigh of relief. Riolu was waiting for him upstairs with Growlithe. The canine Pokemon bounded over when she saw Will and jumped up, resting her front paws on Will's torso. Will smiled and sat down on the nearby couch while Growlithe jumped up next to him and proceeded to lick feverously at his face.

Growlithe had a small, fluffy tail, a tuft of fur on top of its head, and rounded ears. It was covered in bright orange fur with black stripes over its back and on its forelegs. Its belly, tail, and fluff on top of its head were a cream colour. Its nose was shiny black, while the insides of its ears were like brown.

"Growlithe, stop it!" Will laughed, tumbling over and allowing Growlithe to move in and squash his face with her short rounded muzzle. "Stop it!" Growlithe just barked and continued.

Nell walked into the room and burst out laughing when she saw the scene. Growlithe immediately leaped off Will and onto her but Nell was quick to react and caught her before it could do any damage. She placed her down on the couch again.

"Will, we're leaving now," she said to her son as he stroked Growlithe.

Will petted the Pokemon for a moment longer before heading down to the car. They left and headed out towards Samford, a rural suburb of Brisbane. Will observed the scenery as they drove, noticing Pokemon such as Taillow and he was pretty sure he saw a Seviper at one point.

They arrived at their destination, a one story house connected to a large glass dome via a stone archway. Will stared. The dome was new. Beyond it, the vast landscape stretched, bare except for the grass that grew.

Will's uncle John met them halfway between the house and their car, arms spread wide and dressed in a pair of trousers and a flannelette shirt. Will wondered how his uncle could stand wearing such things in this weather. His voice boomed out from underneath his scruffy beard as he grinned wildly.

"Welcome, Nell and William, to my humble abode!"

Nell laughed and shook her head. "Every time John, every time."

"Well, it worked quite well the first time, why shouldn't it every time?"

"Because it makes you sound crazy!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." He turned and strode off towards his house. "Come and have a drink."

The two visitors hurried to keep up. "Please don't let us inconvenience you John, we're only here to collect some files for James," Nell said.

"Nonsense! Think nothing of it. Besides," he turned to them and flashed them a wide grin. "I want to show you the dome."

They reached the cool interior of John's house and he strode over to the fridge. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'll have a coffee, thanks," Nell said. She turned to her son. "What about you?"

"Just a water, please," Will said before returning to examine his uncle's photos. There were many, depicting John in laboratories, corporate buildings and even outdoors in the dense jungle. _The joys of researching Pokemon_, Will thought.

Will drank his water and headed out to explore some more. His wandering brought him to the dome situated next to the house. He wandered in and gasped at what he saw.

A large grassy plain took up the centre of the dome, surrounded by lush green forest. A stream flowed through the centre. A symphony of sound greeted him; the rustling of leaves, the trickling of water, the cries of Pokemon. Will could see at least seven different types, including Butterfree, Paras and Aipom.

A boy with straight dark brown hair grinned, resembling his father as he walked up to him. He was five feet tall with brown eyes and rosy cheeks. His perfect teeth flashed in the sunlight.

"Hi Will!" called John's only son and Will's cousin, Dominic. Will only had one cousin on his Dad's side of the family as his father, James, only had one brother. He enjoyed spending time with the 12 year old.

"Hey Dom, how are you?" Will replied. "This place looks amazing!"

"I know right, Dad got it so he could research Pokemon more closely."

Will grinned. "I bet you're enjoying it."

Dom laughed. "I sure am!

There was a movement in the bushes to Will's left and a Pokemon stumbled out. It was a small chick covered in orange and yellow downy feathers. It had a crest on its head which vaguely resembled a flame.

"No way!" Will cried. "Is that a Torchic?"

Dom's grin grew wider. "It's _my _Torchic. Come with me and I'll show you the others."

Dom stooped down and picked up Torchic in his arms, brushing twigs out of its feathers. He led Will to the centre of the grassy plain where a small stone plateau jutted out of the grass like a pedestal. They sat on it, admiring the wonder and beauty of nature's work around them. A small brown and white raccoon nudged Will's hand, its bristly fur alternating in layers of cream and brown. Will petted the Zigzagoon while it made a sound similar to purring, showing that it was enjoying itself.

"Look, over there." Dom pointed towards the edge of the grassy plains, towards a Pokemon lying on its back in a relaxed position. It was a small, green, bipedal reptilian Pokémon. It had a large, dark green tail with two separate lobes and its stomach and throat were red. Will blinked a couple of times to make sure he was actually looking at a Treecko.

"You're joking," he said. "That's a Treecko."  
"Yes, it is," Dom replied. "There's a Mudkip around here somewhere as well. Probably in the stream somewhere."

"How did you manage to get your hands on the whole of Starter Trio III?"

"I don't really know, to be honest. Dad knows some people overseas and they asked him if he would research them some more."  
Will understood why someone would want to research these Pokemon. Starter Trio's were some of the most powerful Pokemon in existence, bar Legendaries. There were five Starter Trio's to date and each one consisted of three Pokemon each with different types; grass, fire and water, respectively. Despite being so powerful once fully evolved, these Pokemon were some of the easiest to raise and train, making them quite rare. Their name originated from the common tale told that they were some of the first Pokemon ever to be created. Will hadn't seen all three of one Trio ever gathered in one place.

Will stood up and walked over to the Treecko. The moment he took a step, the Treecko sat bolt upright, its bright yellow eyes and narrow pupils piercing Will's own. A moment passed and the Pokemon leaped gracefully into the trees to be lost from view. Will's face fell and he sat back down. Dom just laughed.

"Don't worry Will, Treecko isn't one for company," he said. "They prefer to keep to themselves. Torchic, on the other hand, are very much welcome to friends, aren't you?" He scratched Torchic on the head and it nuzzled further into his arms.

"Dude, I am so jealous you have a Starter Pokemon," Will said enviously to him.  
"Aww cheer up Will, how's Riolu coming along?"

"Yeah he's doing well, I think he's around level 30 now. He pulled of a very powerful Ice Punch the other day."

"It's my training routines!" John stated proudly as he walked into the dome. Nell trailed behind him, marvelling at the scenery before her. "I told you they would make your Pokemon stronger."

Will grinned. "They sure did. Riolu lifts more weights than me now!"

"Excellent! He'll become a strong Pokemon one day."

A cry from the stream to their left abruptly ended their conversation. They looked and saw a small, blue, amphibious Pokémon with a large head and wide mouth floating down the stream. It stared at them with black beady eyes as it splashed its way through the water. It had orange star-shaped external gills on its cheeks. It also had a fin on the top of its head and a light-blue fin for a tail. Will thought it looked kind of cute.

"Ah, Mudkip!" called John. "How are you?"

Mudkip gave a high pitched wail in response. John sighed. "I'm sorry Nell, Will. I have to go save the poor bugger."  
Will frowned. "It's a Water Pokemon, can't it swim?"

"No I'm afraid not. It's quite young so it hasn't developed a strong swimming pattern. Consequently, when the stream gets quite rapid it ends up just floating downstream until someone fetches it."

Nell stepped forward. "Well look, we'll head off then."

"Oh, well thank you for stopping by!" said John.

Nell smiled. "Not a problem John. Thanks for the files."  
He waved his hand as he walked off into the forest. "Don't mention it."

Will turned to Dom. "See you later Dom," he said to the boy.

"Bye Will!" he replied. He waved to them as they left.

Nell and Will got into the car and drove home while Will still marvelled at having seen all three Pokemon of Starter Trio III. As the pulled in at home, Will looked over at the house across the road. The movement was small and quick but Will had already seen the scarred face of the bald man as he'd stared out the obscured window.

It was 7:45pm by the time will left his house, dressed in a pair of tight jeans, a white shirt and some black canvas shoes. He walked down the road to the train station and sat down. His phone beeped and he looked down to see a message from his friend Daniel. 'U coming to my party?' it said. Will responded, 'Yeah mate, I'm just a bit late.'

He got off the train at Alderley and walked the rest of the way. It took five minutes for him to reach the rich marble house bursting with people. Music blared as people danced and talked. Will saw a few people he knew and said hello.

Will spotted Jack and Claire kissing in the corner of the lounge room, their tongues dancing passionately. Will smiled and shook his head as he walked outside. The pool took up most of the space outside but that just gave the women more reasons to show more skin. He poured himself a drink as his eyes scanned the crowd for his friend Daniel. He took a sip and blanched at the taste of rum. Two very pretty young girls sat on the edge of pool a couple of meters away.

"Hey Will," one of them called out, smiling cheekily.

"Hi Alexandra," he replied, smiling.

"Come get in the pool with us!" called the other one, a girl named Cleo.

Will laughed. "But I don't have any swimmers."

"Aww that doesn't matter."

"Maybe later."  
Cleo sighed. "Okay then."

Daniel Rogers suddenly appeared beside him, his face masked by his olive skin and short, jet black hair. "Hey bro! Glad you could make it!"

Will smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry I'm late, lost track of time."

Daniel grinned and slapped him on the back, almost making him spill his drink. "All good mate, all good. I see you've already found the booze, eh?"

"I see you're already drunk."

"Hell yeah man! Tonight's going to be hecaz! Woohoo!" And he leaped into the pool.

Will laughed and headed back inside. He spotted a few more friends and spoke to a few of them. However, the conversation was a lot harder to understand when the person talking to you is intoxicated. He saw Jack waving him over and joined his two friends.

"Dan knows how to throw a good party, doesn't he?" said Jack.

"Hell yeah he does, he always has."

"Coming swimming later?"  
Will laughed. "I don't know, maybe."  
"Please do it," said Claire.

Suddenly there was a crash as the door slammed open. Will turned and his stomach lurched when he saw Mark walk in, followed by two of his cronies. "Stop the music!" he yelled, his voice straining to be heard over the noise. "I SAID STOP THE MUSIC!" Someone turned off the music. Everyone stared at Mark.

"Where's William Lee?" he called.

A moment of silence passed before Daniel called out from the back of the room. "He's not here. Couldn't make it."

Mark grumbled with displeasure as Will silently thanked his friend and tried to maneuverer himself outside. If he could get outside he could sneak out the back entrance and be gone. He was seriously regretting leaving Riolu at home.

"OH HOLD ON A MINUTE!"

Will froze. He could feel Mark's eyes drilling into the back of his head.

"Well well well, look who it is, it's William Lee everyone!"

Will turned slowly and faced Mark and his two cronies. The rest of the crowd backed away from the two. "What do you want Mark?" asked Will.

"I want to beat the shit out of you for what you did to me at school," Mark sneered.

"Is this about me beating you in a Pokemon battle? Come on, seriously?"

"Shut up! Just shut up! You cheated somehow. I'd never lose to a nerd like you."

"Getting good marks at school doesn't make someone a nerd, Mark."

"I said shut up!"  
Jack moved to the front of the crowd and appeared at Will's shoulder. "I've got you're back, Will."

Mark laughed. "Hey you're the kid who I beat up the other day! What, are you here to get your arse kicked again?"

"Seven on one was hardly a fair fight!" Jack retorted. "Two on three though…..I like our chances."

Will was worried. "You sound pretty confident," he said to Jack.

"I just achieved my black belt in karate," he replied. "All you have to do is use their weight against them."

Will swallowed. "Alright then."

"Remember what I taught you."

Mark charged and swung his fist. The duo jumped out of the way and Jack stuck his foot out. Mark crashed into the ground. One of Mark's friends, a lanky blonde-haired guy, lashed out a kick at Will's abdomen. Will grabbed his foot, grunting with the effort, and pushed it away, throwing the guy off balance. He followed it up with an elbow to the face and the guy went sprawling, blood gushing out of his nose.

Will turned and tried to dodge a swing from Mark. Lights flashed behind his eyes as Mark's fist struck the side of his head. He ducked a second punch and quickly moved in close to Mark, firing off two quick jabs into his abdomen. Mark clutched at his side but swung his free hand down and struck Will's shoulder with his fist. Will stumbled and Mark spotted the opening and lunged. He grabbed Will and threw him into the nearest table. Will cried out as he struck the edge of the hard wood.

Mark grinned nastily and advanced but was knocked off his feet as Jack swept low with his kick. His knee connected with Mark's back as he fell and Mark screamed in pain.

Will's eyesight cleared and he called out as Mark's second friend, a squat dark-haired fellow, lunged at Jack. Jack turned but was too late and went tumbling to the ground. The squat boy got up and started throwing punches into Jack's torso, Jack wheezing as each one connected. Will ran over and thrust his fist into the side of the boy's head. The boy stumbled backwards, dazed. Jack sprang onto his feet and laid two more punches into the boy's gut before pivoting on his back foot and delivering a round house kick into the side of his head. The boy crashed into the ground and didn't get up.

Will heard a cry from behind him and whirled around, raising his arms just into to block a swing from Mark's heavy set arm. He ducked under the next one and slammed his open palm against Mark's face. There was a loud crack as Will's slap connected and Mark's howled and clutched at his face. He growled and lunged at Will. Will stepped out of the way but was too slow as Mark grabbed him with his meaty hands for the second time. Spittle flew from his lips as he cursed until Jack came flying through and tackled Mark around the waist. The two grappled on the ground while Will faced off against the lanky boy again. Blood was streaming from both their noses.

The boy advanced and threw his fist at Will, who blocked the punch with his forearms. He drove his knee into the boys gut and the boy doubled over, the breath knocked out of him. Will pivoted and punched the boy right under the chin. The boy's head shot backwards and he collapsed for good.

Jack and Mark had stopped grappling and were now facing each other, not moving except for their heavy breathing. Jack had a bruise right over his eye but Mark had suffered a lot worse. A moment passed before Mark charged at Jack, screaming wildly. At the last moment Jack dropped his body and threw Mark backwards over his shoulder. Mark tumbled over Jack's shoulder and crashed into the table behind him. The table snapped and Mark groaned once before becoming still.

Jack straightened up and Will smirked. "Not bad," he said.

"You were worse," Jack replied.

Will laughed and grasped his friends hand. Daniel tottered up beside them. "That was so cool!" he said, laughing hard. "You just totally fucked those guys up!"

Will grinned. "Yeah mate, that's all great, but do you have any ice in this house at all? Or a tissue?"

Daniel's face turned serious. "Oh yeah, yeah of course. Yeah I'll just be a minute."

Jack and Will followed Daniel into the kitchen. After the fight, everyone at the party was even more hyped up then before. The duo accepted pats on the back and thanks from others. Once or twice, Will thought he saw some girls eyeing them up. They sat down in the kitchen where they were promptly joined by Claire.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked immediately.

"Yeah, we're fine," Jack replied.

"Those were some skills."

"Yeah dude, that roundhouse kick was deadly," remarked Will.

"That's what martial arts do dude; it makes you a deadly machine!"

The three laughed and Claire kissed Jack on the cheek as Daniel returned with an ice pack and a box of tissues. He smirked at Claire and Jack. "You two still going strong, aye?"

Jack sighed. "Yes, Dan."

"You fucked yet?"

Jack sighed and turned away as Will and Daniel roared with laughter. Claire shook her head in disgust.

After about twenty minutes Will's nose had stopped bleeding. He splashed water onto his face, fished a bottle of Coke out of the fridge and downed about a quarter of it before passing it to Jack, whose eye was now covered in a large black bruise. Will laughed inwardly at the look.

And hour of talking, drinking and the occasional hook up later, Will was set to head home early and hit the sack. He found his friends amidst the crowd.

"Hey fellas, I think I'm going to head home," he said to them.

Their faces fell. "Why?" asked Claire.

Will shrugged. "I'm feeling really tired, I think I might hit the sack."

Daniel let out an enormous burp. "Whatever you say dude."

Will left the party and trudged towards the train station, his muscles sore from the fight with Mark. He was looking forward to curling up on his bed and having a good long sleep. He caught the train back home and walked down his street. As he reached his house he heard his parents out on the footpath. He could hear the jangle of keys as they walked to the car parked outside the house. They saw him, a surprised look on their faces.

"Hey Will," his father, James, said.

"What are you doing back so soon?" asked his mother, Nell.

Will shrugged. "I was tired."

James' eyes narrowed. "Did you get into a fight with someone?"

Will turned away. "Maybe."  
His mother scowled. "Jesus Will, are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Mum!"

"I bet the other guy got off a lot worse," said his father, a smile playing on his lips.

Will grinned. "Unconscious."

James hooted with laughter while his mother just scowled some more. "It's not nice to hurt other people, Will," she said to him.

He shrugged. "He had it coming."

"Still not okay."  
Will tilted his head. "Where are you guys going, anyway?"

Nell answered, "Well, we were going to get dinner and see a movie but now that you're back it seems wrong to leave you here all by yourself."

Will waved them away. "Don't worry about me, go out and enjoy your evening."

"Are you sure?"  
Will laughed. "Yes Mum, I'm sure! Now go have fun."

His parents smiled. "Thanks son," said James.

Will smiled back and embraced both his parents. "I love you guys," he said.

"We love you too, William," said his father.

"And we always will," said his mother.

They broke apart and Will walked through the gate and into the front yard. He waved as they got into the car. They waved back. His father turned the key in the ignition.

And the car exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone.**  
**Another battle in this one! This chapter is a bit longer than the others but some important things happen that are essential to the story. I hope you enjoy it!**  
**~bigwilly**

The giant fireball lit up the night sky like fireworks. Except Will didn't feel the same joy he experienced when he saw fireworks. For a few moments, he didn't feel anything. His whole body was cold and empty, like the deep reaches of space had reached out and swallowed him. He was still, as still as a statue, and numb as well. It was as if all of his emotions had been drained from him.

And then it all came rushing back as one huge blow to the stomach. His head grew heavy and his insides lurched threateningly. His lungs ached as his one single scream pierced the night like a knife. Panic spread throughout the street as people called the police and the fire department and the ambulance. And all through it Will stood still, unmoving, watching with horror as the corpses of his parents burned.

Why had this happened? How could this have happened? The world, the vicious and cruel world, had reached out and snatched his parents away in the blink of an eye, destroying the two people he had loved most. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't some other teenager have his family destroyed right in front of his eyes?

He staggered towards the car, knowing beyond a doubt that his parents had surely died, yet wanting to do something, anything. He moved closer and closer until the heat became unbearable and collapsed to his knees, his tears glistening in the light of the flames.

There was a movement out of the corner of his eye and he summoned all of his strength so as to turn his head. A car had pulled up under the street light. The bald man with the scarred eye appeared and went to get into the car, only to look up, directly at Will. His single eye locked with Will's and he knew somehow, in that moment, that the bald man was the one responsible for his parent's death. As if in response, the bald man smiled wickedly and drove off.

Will screamed once more, a scream of pure agony that ripped apart his insides. A scream that all the world could hear.

The next three days blurred past for Will. He wasn't sure which memories were real and which were nightmares created by his suffering mind. His parents had died, right in front of his eyes. They had been brutally murdered. The police had turned up empty handed. It was as if the bald man had been a ghost, flittering into Will's life just to exterminate one of the most important parts.

Some memories were clear as day, seared into his memory. The image of the bald man smiling his vicious smile. The speech given by his uncle John at the funeral. His Pokemon, Riolu and Growlithe, sombre by his side. And throughout it all, one word burned the brightest.

_Revenge._

Not one moment in Will's waking life was spent without that night playing in his head. The black Audi exploding into flames as the bald man got into the sleek car, his scar pale in the streetlight. It haunted his dreams and kept him awake at night. His friends had noticed; Jack, Daniel and Claire. They had tried to talk to him a couple of times but he had refused. All he could think about was how he could find the bald man and kill him.

A few more days passed and again Will paid almost no attention to anything at all. He was now living with John and Dominic and had been completely out of it. His friends had come around several more times to try and speak to him but were repeatedly refused. They'd banged on his door and shouted at him to talk to them but he just didn't care. Until one day when Daniel decided to break the door down.

"I'll pay for that," said Daniel as the door crashed onto the floor. He went to pick it up while Jack scowled at him and stepped into the room. Claire wasn't with them.

Will sat up. "Get out of my room," he said quietly.

The two stood in front of him. "No," said Jack "It's time you did something."

Will's face stayed blank. "Go away, I don't want to do anything."  
"We don't care, we'll make you do something."

An edge of irritation crept into Will's voice. "Look, I don't care about what you want, just leave me alone."

"We're not leaving."

"My parents are dead! I don't care anymore! Get the fuck out of my room."

"No."

Will lashed out, incredibly fast, and his fist connected with Jack's face. He stumbled back, his hand clutching his bloody nose. Daniel sprang forward and charged into Will, pinning him into his bed. "WILL!" he shouted. "Calm down!"

Will squirmed under Daniel's stocky build, anger churning inside him. "I'll kill you! I'll kill that bald man and then I'll kill you! Just leave me-"  
"Shut up! Will, we're you're friends! We want to help you!"

Will struggled to break free and throw his fists into the person on top of him. The boy on the ground was still clutching his nose as blood streamed from it. It reminded him of when he fought Mark with his friend Jack at Daniel's party.

Something clicked in the back of his mind. Wasn't his friend Daniel the one on top of him? Was Jack the one the ground that he had hit? His vision blurred and his head began to throb. He didn't have friends. His parents were dead and he was alone. He stopped struggling.

"I have no friends," he said, his voice empty.

"Yes you do. You're not alone Will, no matter how badly you want to believe it."

Will swallowed and his vision cleared. He looked up into Daniel's warm brown eyes. "Okay."

"I'm going to let you up now, okay?" Daniel stood up. Jack had managed to stop his nose bleeding with some tissues.

Will sat up slowly, his head still hurting. He saw Jack clutching his nose. "Sorry for hitting you," he said sheepishly.

Jack grinned. "You hit like a pussy anyway."

The trio laughed and instantly Will felt better. His body flooded with emotion as it rushed to fill the emptiness that had been sucking away at him. For the first time in a week, he smiled.

He sighed. "Thank you, both of you. I've been a real bitch, haven't I?"

Daniel smirked. "You fucking bet you have." He paused. "But I guess you have the right to be."

"I'm sorry, I really am."

"Don't worry about it. I would probably be the same in your position."

"No, you wouldn't. You're stronger than me. I don't know, I just felt so alone when they died."

"It's natural dude."

"Again, thank you."

"Again, don't worry about it."

Will smiled. A moment passed as he enjoyed in his 'awakening'. He was going to do something today.

"Uhhh, I think I need more tissues," said Jack. The tissues in his hand were drenched with blood.

Will sprang up. "Oh shit, yeah, come with me."

He led the two downstairs and into the kitchen of his uncle's house, the midday sun streaming through the windows. John sat at the table and when he saw Will his face lit up like the sun.

"You guys did it!" he exclaimed. "You actually did it!"

"Yeah, but at a price," said Jack.

John noticed his bleeding nose. "Jesus Will." He produced a box of tissues and a bottle of cold water as the boys sat down. "So you're back to normal?"

A pang of guilt shot through Will as he realised that he probably caused a lot of trouble for not only his friends but his family as well. "Yeah, I'm fine now," he said.

"Well, that's good." John smiled warmly.

"Oh yeah, one thing," Daniel piped up. "I kind of broke your door."

John blinked. "Which one?"

"The one to Will's room."  
"Oh well, that's okay then! Anything to get our boy back to us."

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

They sat and talked about what had been happening the week during Will's isolation. John had been studying Starter Trio III. Daniel had been playing Playstation practically all the time now that Black Ops II was out. And Jack had been to the beach with Claire.

"By the way, where is Claire?" asked Will.

"Oh she's with Sarah and her friends somewhere," Jack said, waving his hand vaguely.

There was the sound of footsteps as Dominic rushed into the room. His face was flushed and he looked as if he was about to burst with excitement. "The battle is about to start!" he said eagerly to the group.

Everyone but Will immediately jumped up from the table and hurried out. Will was left sitting there with a puzzled look on his face. He followed them into lounge room.

"What match?" he asked.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Trey Kohler announced he would be battling Sid McGuire in a charity match," he replied.

Will's face lit up. "Cool!" He sank into one of the plush sofa's surrounding the Samsung Plasma E8000 television. One thing he could get used to was the modern technology his uncle implemented into his household. "Who do you reckon will win?"

"Kohler,"said John imidiately. "I'm sure of it."

"Yeah right!" scoffed Daniel. "Did you see McGuire at the Spring Festival? He was in prime form."

John shook his head firmly. "Kohler did extensive training for this. I'm sure it'll pay off."

Daniel just laughed. "Sure, sure. You agree with me, right Jack?"

Jack looked away. "Actually, I think Kohler will win too."

Daniel gaped. "Jack! What the hell!"

"I'm sorry, but that's just what I think."

"Fine, let's bet on it."

"I'm sorry?"

"10 bucks, you say Kohler, I say McGuire."  
Jack grinned and shook Daniel's hand eagerly. "You're on."

The fanfare of the Fox Sports channel blared out from the high definition television. The commentator began.

_"Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to Fox Sports. For those who've just joined us, the charity match between Oceania Pokemon League members Sid McGuire and Trey Kohler is about to begin. Conditions are looking perfect and the crowd is hyped up. Look like it will be an intense battle!"_

"Where are they battling?" asked Will.

"ANZ Stadium, Sydney," piped up Dom.

"Huh."

A massive roar rose from the crowd as Sid McGuire entered the stadium. His skin was pale and the sun gleamed off his bald head. The piercings in his ears, nose and lips shone. He wore a loose denim jacket with the sleeves cut off and black jeans, displaying the tattoos that covered his skinny arms. His grin showed off his yellow teeth as he waved to the crowd.

_"And the crowd goes nuts as Sid McGuire enters the stadium!"_ the commentator cried. _"But wait! Here it comes, the man himself, Trey Kohler!"_

Kohler walked into the stadium, his heavy footsteps carrying his chiseled form. He was tall. Muscles rippled underneath his blue tank top and white cargo pants. His polished black boots gleamed in the sunlight and his rigid jaw line showed no emotion. Will had always been scared of the army veteran as a child.

The two Elite Four members faced each other across the dusty battlefield. They each drew a Pokeball. White light exploded from them as Pokemon formed on the battlefield and the crowd went wild.

McGuire's Pokemon was what looked like a cross between a cat and a mongoose. Its fur was white with deep red markings on the face, chest and forepaws, the sharp edges of colour a predominant feature. It had two long, sharp claws on its forepaws, shining black. It had two tufts of fur on its shoulders and a large white tail. Zangoose looked around hungrily with its pink eyes and bared its fangs.

Kohler's Pokemon had a large pink head, resembling a helmet, adorened with green stripes and a black star-like marking on the front. The rest of its body consisted of blue, segmented cloth-like tufts, with ribbon-like extensions at the top of its back. Its eyes darted underneath their shadowed creavice. Accelgor uncrossed its arms.

The referee signalled the beginning of the battle and immediately the two Pokemon leaped at each other. The speed and ferocity of the two Pokemon astounded the audience seated around the television and Will's eye struggled to keep up. Zangoose flashed its claws and Accelgor barely managed to dodge the swipe before throwing its body forwards. Zangoose twisted sideways and brought its claws down and violently cut open Accelgor's back. Accelgor staggered before stepping out of the path of another swipe and retreating to the end of the battlefield. Zangoose eyed his opponent warily.

"Fast Pokemon," noted Jack.

"Indeed," murmured John. "I'm surprised Zangoose managed to hit Accelgor, though."

"Just wait until they start using Moves," said Will.

Eyes still glued to the television, the boys watched as McGuire opened his mouth and cried, "Zangoose, use Crush Claw!"

Zangoose leaped forwards at an incredible speed, its claws crackling with white energy. Kohler was quick to respond. "Quick Attack," he said.

Zangoose brought its claws down onto Accelgor only to find empty space. Accelgor appeared behind Zangoose and a flurry of motion. "Sludge Bomb," said Kohler.

Accelgor opened its mouth and released a blob of brown sludge at Zangoose. The sludge hit Zangoose square in the back and it fell, parts of its fur stained brown. It growled and sprang back up to face Accelgor who was already charging in at a frightening speed. Zangoose twisted out of the way and its claws crackled white as it charged another Crush Claw. It lunged at Accelgor but was halfway before it screeched and fell. Its body spasmed as the poison sent a painful pulse through its body.

_"Oh dear, it looks like Zangoose has been poisoned from the Sludge Bomb!"_ said the commentator. _"Things aren't looking good for Sid McGuire."_

On the battlefield, McGuire had a worried look on his face. "Zangoose, use Night Slash!"

"Accelgor, use Quick Attack again!" cried Kohler in response.

Zangoose's claws turned black as night and tendrils of darkness whipped around them as Zangoose lunged. Accelgor disappeared again, right at the last moment, reappearing behind Zangoose. But Zangoose wasn't falling for the same trick twice. It spun on its back feet, bringing its claws around in a wide arc and striking Accelgor right on the side of its torso. Accelgor shot sideways and crashed into the dusty ground of the stadium.

McGuire laughed. "You always were too predictable Trey," he said to himself. He wasn't losing the advantage he had just gained. "Finish it with Aerial Ace!" he cried.

Zangoose shot towards Accelgor and its body became enfulged in a white aura. He screeched and leaped. McGuire grinned triumphinatly, only to have his smile diminished as Zangoose stumbled from another poisonous spasm. The white aura disbanded and Accelgor capitalised on this. It lashed out and this time it was Zangoose who crashed into the ground.

Kohler roared, "Accelgor, use Focus Blast!"

Accelgor leaped up and brought its hands together while Zangoose growled on the ground. An orange sphere of energy appeared in Accelgor's hand and it released it. The sphere shot towards Zangoose right as it was getting up and Zangoose was blown off its feet as the super effective move tore away its remaining strength. Zangoose crashed into the wall surrounding the battlefield and lay still. The crowd erupted.

_"What a battle! Sid McGuire has just lost his first Pokemon in a very high-paced confrontation. I wonder what Pokemon he will choose next. Stay tuned to find out the result between these two amazing battlers!"_

Back in the lounge room, Daniel swore as Jack laughed. "Not a good start for you, eh Dan?"

"He still has two more Pokemon," Daniel grumbled.

Dom got up from his seat. "I'm going to check on the Pokemon." He hurried out.

"I'll go join him," said Will, eager to see the Starter Pokemon again.

He strolled out of the house and through the stone archway towards the giant dome. He opened the glass door and was greeted again with the fragrances of the forest and the cacophony of sounds that came from the various Pokemon situated inside the lush scenery. Before the electric door could close itself behind him, a streak of green flashed past him and out the entrance. Will whirled around to see Treecko bounding towards the small forest that was just down the road from his house. His stomach sank.

"Crap!" swore Dominic from behind him. His face was red and he took a moment to catch his breath before speaking again. "I don't know what the hell is the problem with that Treecko!"

"Should we go get it?" asked Will and immediately he felt stupid.

"Yes, we have to! Dad will kill me if we lose it!"

Will went pale at the thought of angering his uncle. "Alright I'll go inside and get the others."  
"No! We musn't let Dad find out that Treecko has escaped. We'll just have to catch him ourselves. Here."

He handed Will a Pokeball and hurried out the door. They jogged towards the forest were the Treecko had run off to.

"Treecko's are really fast Dom, it could be anywhere by now."

Dominic shook his head. "Treecko's make their nests in tall trees. It will stick to the forest."

They reached the forest and split. Will treaded over the leaves that littered the grassy floor, his eyes scanning the greenery for the sparkle of yellow eyes. It was quiet, save for his own footsteps and the occasional rustle in the very tops of the trees. For every minute that passed, he grew more anxious, hoping with all his might that they could find the Treecko before John found out they had lost it. He searched for what seemed like an hour but was more likely close to fifteen minutes before he saw it. He froze. Two bright yellow eyes were poking out from the bush in front of him. He own eyes locked with them before they vanished from view. A shadow darted to the tree above.

He knew the Treecko wouldn't just go with him willingly. It was probably going to defend its freedom, not run. It was too arrogant for that. No, Will knew just how to handle this situation.

"Fight me," he called to the forest. No response. Will thought he must look incredibly stupid asking a Pokemon that was only 2'3" to fight him. "Fight me, you loser."

There was a rustle in the trees above him. Will stood perfectly still.

"Fight me…coward."

Treecko leaped down from out of nowhere and slammed its tail into the back of Will's head. Will stumbled forward onto the grassy canopy. He turned just in time to see Treecko leap forward and slap him across the face. He clutched his stinging face that accompanied his throbbing head and just had time to acknowlede the pain before he was taken off his feet by a low sweep. Jesus, that Treecko was fast.

Will saw the Treecko crouching in a branch across from him. It sneered at him before disappearing from view again. Will stood in the middle of the small clearing he was in and stood deadly still. This Treecko had no fighting experience. It was still young. Will could do this.

There was a rustle in the leaves above him. Will dropped, straight onto his back and kicked upwards. His shoe connected with Treecko in a crude imitation of a bicycle kick. It flew into a tree and dropped to the ground. For a moment, Will thought he had overdone it, but before he could even see if the Treecko was still concious or not, he lunged forward, Pokeball in hand and threw it. It connected with the Treecko and opened, its invisible radiation transforming the Wood Gecko Pokemon into white energy before snapping shut. The small button at its center flashed red. Will stood there, fingers crossed, before finally breathing a sigh of relief as the chime of a sucessful capture rang out through the forest. He picked up the Pokeball and called Dominic on his mobile phone.

"Hey Dom, I caught the Treecko," he said into the phone.

He could hear the relief practically emanating from the other end. "Thank god," he said. "Do you reckon you can find your way back to the house?"

"I have a GPS on my phone so I should be fine."

"Sweet, see you there."

He met Dominic on the road back home and showed him the captured Treecko, a miniturised version slightly visible through the top half of the ball. They grinned and headed back, only to have their grins replaced with looks of despair upon seeing their uncle standing outside the dome. His arms were folded and he had a deep scowl furrowing his face. Will swallowed nervously.

"And just where have you two been?" he asked. His tone indicated that he knew exactly where they had been.

"We uh, we were um, just went for a walk," stammered Dom unconvinvingly.

"Bull," growled John. "You better have got it back."

Will held out the Pokeball that he was clutching in his sweaty hands. John snatched it up and observed the injured Treecko inside.

He sighed. "Of course it's hurt," he grumbled. "I guess you two can't be blamed for Treecko's arrogant need for independence. Come with me and we'll have this little bugger healed up in no time."

The two cousins breather with relief as they escaped such a close encounter with the wrath of John Lee. John was scary when he was angry.

He lead the boys through the glass dome and they reached an automatic door, similar to the one at the dome's entrance. They went inside and were greeted with a small laboratory. The walls were all white. Several filing cabinets lined one side of the room while a computer lay dormant in the corner. A workbench took up the middle of the room, littered with scientific tools and books, some of which Will had never seen before. John went over to a machine at the far end of the room. Will thought it was a printer until John opened it and placed the Pokeball inside, much the same way someone would put a sheet of paper in a photocopier. He pressed a button and the PKMN Restorer whirred to life as it set to restoring Treecko to full health.

He turned to the boys. "I'm surprised you were able to capture Treecko," he said to the duo. "Let alone without any Pokemon."

Will looked down. "Yeah, I kinda had to kick it," he said sheepishly.

John burst out laughing. "You sound worried! That Treecko will be fine. It relishes a fight, that one does. Come on, I'll get you something to drink while it's healing."

Will grinned and the group headed back through the dome and into the house, where they heard Daniel complaining as he handed Jack a ten dollar note.

"Ohoho, better luck next time Danny boy," he teased.

Daniel grunted and trudged into the kitchen. "Where the hell were you guys?" he asked.

"These two managed to let Treecko escape," said John as he grabbed some Coke from the fridge.

"But Will got it back!" piped up Dominic.

Jack whistled. "Nice."

Daniel grunted again. "Not bad."

"Will has quite a way with Pokemon," nodded John. "It reminds me of his father."

The group fell into an awkward silence. Will said nothing. Talk of the battle just shown on the television surfaced and soon everyone at the table was eagerly discussing it.

Except Will. He just sat there in silence. He'd hardly known his father. James Lee was always away on some sort of business. Back when he was about 2 years old, he didn't see his father for a whole year, deployed in the Middle East with the Australian Army. Since then, it was one business trip after another; meeting a new client one day, forming a deal the next and then it would be overseas to exotic locations. Will had come to appreciate the time he'd had with his father. Hearing that his Dad had been skilled with Pokemon was almost no surprise to him; he had been to a lot of places and met a lot of people.

"How did you get over it?" he blurted.

The crowd gropued around the table fell silent. "I'm sorry?" asked John.

"How did you get over their deaths?"

John responded immediately. "By looking after you."

Will blinked. "What do you mean?"  
"By looking after you, making sure you're safe, that you get a good education, that sort of thing."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I'm sure it's what they would've wanted."

"I have no idea what they wanted, I don't think I hardly knew them."

"I sometimes think the same thing too, kid. There's still lots of things I don't know about them. I bet you didn't know James took the Gym Challenge when he was younger."

Almost every single eyebrow in the room shot up. "Did he make it?" asked Jack.

John shook his head. "Knocked out by The Eigth. No matter how many times he challenged it, he would always lose."

"Huh," murmered Will.

A long moment of silence passed. Daniel looked at Jack who looked at Will who was still staring at his feet.

Dominic was the first to break the silence. "Treecko is probably healed now," he said. His voice echoed in the silence.

John stood up. "You're probably right. Who wants to come see him?"

"Treecko?" asked Daniel, raising an eyebrow. "As in Starter Trio III Treecko?"

Will grinned. "John has all three."

Will's friends sprang up. "Well what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!"

John roared with laughter and lead the way through the house and into the dome. He left the boys and went to fetch Treecko.

"This is amazing," breathed Jack as he stared at the environment that surrounded him.

"The boons of researching Pokemon," Daniel muttered.

John returned with Treecko's Pokeball in hand. "Look quickly," he said. "Treecko doesn't like company. It will most likely just run away into the forest."

The ball sprang open and Treecko materialised on the lush grass in front of them. Will was immediately wary. Would Treecko be angry that he had kicked him? Will knew how fast that Treecko was and did not like the idea of facing it again.

But Treecko didn't attack him. It just stood there and blinked. It looked at each of the people around him. It looked at John, who still held the Pokeball in his hand.

Treecko jumped with the grace and agility of a gazelle and snatched the Pokeball from John's hand. It somersaulted into the air off of his shoulder and landed right in front of Will. Every muscle in Will's body tensed. Treecko held out the Pokeball to Will. Will cocked his head, confused. Was it trying to give the Pokeball to him?

He accepted the empty Pokeball. It was light in his hand. Treecko still had its arm outstretched. Will stared. _Was it trying to shake its hand?_Upon instinct, Will crouched down on one knee and grasped Treecko's hand in his own. He could see his reflection mirrored in the Pokemon's bright yellow eyes. He smiled.

"Oh my," said John softly. "It seems you have a new Pokemon, Will."

Will looked up sharply at his uncle, who's eyes were sparkling. "What?"

"You're triumphant encounter over Treecko in the forest has garnered its respect."

Will looked at Treecko. "Is this true?"

Treecko nodded once, a short and simple 'yes'.

A grin split Will's face from ear to ear. He'd connected with a Starter Pokemon. This proud and arrogant creature was willing to be his friend. His grin widened. Treecko did the same.

"Now we both have Starter Pokemon, Will!" squealed Dominic.

"Guess you really do have a knack for Pokemon," said Daniel.

"You can be as good as your father one day," said John.

Will looked up at his friends. He had the skills. He had the Pokemon. He had the support. He decided, there and then, that he was going to make his parents proud and win the Oceania Pokemon Championships. He was going to be the very best. Like no one ever was.

He stood up. "I'm taking the Gym Challenge."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone.**  
**This chapter is very, very short but I'm certain it will only make you want to read more. I hope you enjoy it!**  
**~bigwilly**

His footsteps echoed as he walked down the long corridor. Shadows clung to the corners, plentiful in the dim light of the elaborate chandelier. His shoes clacked on the polished floorboards and his blank face was reflected back at him through the many portraits that lined the walls. He knew some of the people depicted. Some, he did not. He didn't really care. The sooner he was out of here, the better.

He reached the large oak doors and knocked once before entering. The stench of smoke hit him immediately but as much as he despised smoking, he had long since grown used to it. It was too often that he had to enter this room. He stepped up to the broad mahogany desk and stood silently in front of it, ignoring the bookshelves and paintings that surrounded the walls of the room. The man in the chair was facing away from him, the only visible part of him a hand clutching a glass of scotch. A number of rings adorned his fingers and shone in the light produced from another chandelier overhead.

"Is it done?" the man asked from behind the chair. His voice was rich and warm, like chocolate.

The other man replied, "Yes." Unlike the man behind the chair, his voice was cold and rough, like sandpaper.

"Good work. I trust you didn't have any troubles?"

"None that I know of."

"Excellent."

There was a pause before the man with the rough voice spoke. "The boy saw me leave."

Silence descended once more before the man behind the chair spoke. "He poses no threat to us."

"He has seen my face."

"So? As long as you left no evidence whatsoever, as you have done every time before this, then everything will be fine."

"He's angry. He'll be out for revenge."

A laugh erupted from the man behind the chair. "He's just a boy! What could he possibly do that could disrupt our work? Besides," he swirled the scotch in its glass "I don't like killing children."

"But if he knows – "

"Our intel says that he doesn't even know who he is. Relax Erebus, everything will be fine. You may go now."

Erebus sighed and stalked out the door. He should've killed the boy as soon as he'd seen him. It would've been easier to explain to the boss. But now he'd missed his chance and he couldn't finish the job without risking his place in The Organisation. He'd have to wait until next time.

The smell of fresh air greeted his nostrils as he stepped outside the mansion. There were no stars in the sky but the lights of the city twinkled in the distance. A single streetlamp illuminated his car, a sleek black Audi, as he got inside. He scratched the large scar that covered his left eye as he drove off into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone.**  
**More about Will's parents are explained in this chapter. This chapter also begins the espionage theme that will be present throughout the story. Because of this, there is minimal Pokemon involved. However, the next chapter easily makes up for it. I hope you enjoy it!**  
**~bigwilly**

The smell of air freshener still lingered in his room, a small reminder of the way his mother had always been there to help him. Will stepped over the clothes strewn on the floor of his bedroom, exactly how he had left them a week ago. Nothing had been touched in his house, thanks to the influence of his uncle. He was grateful for that. It was hard to leave the house you had been born and raised in.

He sifted through his things, placing his keepsakes into large bags to take to his uncle's. Every now and then he would find a small trinket from his youth and memories would flood his mind. He tore down the posters that lined the walls and fished out books from his bookshelves. It was tough, leaving behind the room he had inhabited for 15 years.

Will left his room and moved out into the backyard, which was starting to look like a jungle. He saw Treecko sitting in the large mango tree at the very back. Again, memories from his youth flooded his mind, memories of climbing and hiding in the tree, giggling as his parents pretended not to know where he was. He remembered chasing Growlithe around the yard, falling over numerous times only to get back up and continue. He smiled.

Wandering back inside, it was only now that he was leaving that he realised how much this house had meant to him. It had sheltered him for 15 years and he had ingested so much into it. Emotions, achievements, celebrations, his whole life in one place. This was going to be tough.

The door swung open with a creaking sound that made Will wince. He rembered how that creaking sound had betrayed his presence when he was younger, sneaking into his parents room. He quickly skimmed the tabletops, bagging anything precious or memorable. He mainly found photos, the slender frames encasing scenes from his parents childhood right up to their 50th birthdays. He blinked back tears as he viewed the smiling faces that he would never again see in the flesh.

One piece of jewellery had caught his eye, the only one worthy of entering the bag. It was a small golden locket, about and inch and a half wide and oval in shape. It was decorated with a single garnet in the shape of a heart. Its deep red hue was captivating. Will had remembered his mother telling him about it as he sat on her lap as a child.

"A honeymoon gift," she had said lovingly. "We both share the same birthday, which means we both share the same birthstone." She smiled cheekily. "But I'm still a year older!"

Will opened the locket with a soft click and this time he didn't hold back the tears. Nell was on the left. James was on the right. Two hand-drawn portraits of such beauty and precision. They were both smiling; Nell with her shoulder-length dark brown hair and round face, James looking rugged with his curly black mop and thin stubble. They looked different at 22 and 23 than they did at 50 and 51 but Will could still see the joy and beauty in their eyes that the artist had so accurately captured.

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sat down on the seat under the windows that lined the north wall of the room. He closed the locket and watched the garnet gleam in the sunlight. Its beauty was unmatched in anything Will had ever seen. He hung the gold chain around his neck and tucked the locket under his shirt. This was staying with him forever.

He resumed the search of the room. The seat under the windows was hollow and housed all sorts of interesting things that his parents had hid. He found old Christmas decorations, unwanted gifts, old clothes, but nothing worth keeping. Finally, he found himself staring at the bottom of the box. He went to close the lid and stopped suddenly. Something was wrong. He didn't know what it was but the feeling was there. He cocked his head in puzzlement, trying to figure out what was amiss but he couldn't see anything in the plain wooden floorboards. They were brown, cut even, smooth except for a few scratches-

_ There._

Numerous scratches surrounded one floorboard, like someone had tried to prise it from its place repeatedly. Will rapped his knuckles on it. His heart beat faster at the hollow sound it produced. What could be hidden under a loose floorboard?

He tried to edge his fingers around it but he just couldn't get a grip. He sprang up, feverish with excitement, and ran downstairs into the garage. He passed Rioly and Treecko tussling in the backyard but paid them no notice. Curiosity was coursing through is veins like fire. He ran back into the room and used the crowbar to lift the board out. It clattered onto the ground as he stared.

A metal box was nestled in the floor. The silver had long since lost its shine after years of dwelling in the darkness. Will carefully lifted the box out of the floor and delicately laid it next to him, as if it were made of fine china. He couldn't believe it. Hidden boxes under loose floorboards? This stuff only happened in movies!

The box wasn't locked. The screech of metal against metal pierced the air as Will lifted the lid. He gasped.

The first thing he noticed was the money. Bundles of notes were strewn across the inside of the box. Pink, blue, red, yellow, green, there had to be at least ten thousand dollars in there. He took it all out, struggling to understand why his parents had all this money stashed away in the floor.

Then came the passports.

Russian, Chinese, American, passports all with his fathers face staring blankly out of them. But they didn't have his fathers name on them. Will's mind was at bursting point. Why the fuck did his Dad have fake passports? Was the money his too? Was his father a secret agent?

Then it hit him. His father was a secret agent. As impossible as it sounded, it was the only answer. His Dad was a secret agent and somehow, incredibly, Will had stumbled upon his emergency stash pad. He'd watched the Bourne movies. He knew a stash pad when he saw one. But if this was anything like the movies...

Will reached into the box again and felt cold metal against his fingers. He frowned and peered into the box, finding it empty. He felt around some more. Strange. He was sure he would find-

_Click!_

The tiny button depressed and a small portion of the bottom of the box swung outwards. Will grinned in triumoh. He pulled out the fake bottom and found exactly what he had been expecting.

A SIG P226 lay in the box, it's sleek 4.4 inch barrel as black as night. He gently picked it up and drew a sharp breath. It had no attachments. He instinctively laughed. He had always wanted to hold a gun. Didn't Alex O'Loughling look super cool in Hawaii Five-0? He did a brass check like he'd seen on TV. The glint of gold confirmed that there was a bullet in the chamber. He released the slide and it clicked back into place, making Will grin again. That was so cool.

He examined the rest of the gun, making sure his fingers were well away from the trigger. He found the magazine release and the fully loaded magazine dropped into his hand. He found two more magazines in the box. He considred firing a round out the window but immediately decided against it as the neighbours would surely hear it. But man, that would be kickass.

Another thought popped into Will's head, a thought that made his grin falter. A thought that, once it had settled, made his blood go cold.

If this gun had belonged to his Dad, what had he done with it?

* * *

The sounds of his pokemon scuffling outside drifted through his ears as Will contemplated everything he had found. The money, the passports, the gun. What was it all for? It was clear to him that his Dad was into something deep, deep enough that he wouldn't tell his son about it. He could've been a hitman for all he knew, a murderer for hire. Just the thought sent chills down his spine. Had Mum know? Was she a part of it too? Questions tumbled about in his head and he became increasingly frustrated as he realised that the people that had the answers were dead.

Or were they?

Surely there were other people who knew about his parents. Colleagues, enemies, friends, anyone. He had to track them down and find the truth. But where did he start? He was only 15, for god's sake!

Will turned his gaze back towards the box. It was nearly empty now. All that remained were the papers that the gun had been lying on. Will drew them out carefully. They were slightly crinkled but the ink was still easily visible on the pages. The angled handwriting and accentuated downstrokes pointed to the fact that this was his fathers handwriting. Will's eyes scanned the pages, unable to stay in one spot after everything that had happened. Words jumped out at him, capturing his attention like prey to a predator. Words like 'flute', 'power', 'The Organisation'. A small diagram in the corner had the words 'diamond', 'pearl', and 'platinum' with a line leading from each to 'CLANS'. 'platinum' was circled. None of it made any sense to him.

Some words did though. He saw his fathers name, James Lee, as well as the name Tomas Cross. That name struck a chord somewhere in his brain, perhaps a conversation between his parents? Or between a father and brother?

John! He would surely know what his own brother had been involved in. And what all the writing on these papers meant. It was a gamble though. John could freak out and take everything to the cops. It would be difficult, confronting him about it, but it had to be done if Will wanted to find the truth. He added 'find truth about parents' on his mental to-do list, right next to 'kill scar man'.

Will blanched suddenly. What was _that_? He was still hooked on avenging his parents? He had been angry but could he really take the life of another? Will's brows furrowed as he thought about that night, when he had locked eyes with the bald man with the scarred eye. He had wanted nothing more than to kill him that night. And he had wanted the same thing for the whole week. But he'd gotten over that now. What he was thinking about was ruthless. Was Will ruthless? He wasn't too sure. Thoughts about the Gym Challenge had taken all that from his mind up until this point.

Crap! Will glanced at his watched and yelped. He was meant to be training for the Gym Challenge right now! He stuffed everything into the box and threw the box into the bag, which was now almost full. He dug his phone out of his pocket and saw that he had three missed calls from John. He had been so captivated by his discoveries that he had been completely oblivious to the vibrating machine in his pocket. He dialed his uncle.

"Will! Jesus mate,what have you been doing?"

"Sorry, I got held up."

"Held up by what?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter."

"By what?" John's voice was firm.

"By…" Will glanced at the bag that contained his fathers secrets. He could tell John right now. He needed to know what his father had been into. But even if John knew, would he tell him? James hadn't.

"By all the photos," responded Will.

There was silence on the other end before finally John said, "Okay, well I'm almost outside the house so be ready to leave when I get there." And he hung up.

Will pocketed the phone and exhaled slowly. If James hadn't told his own son what he was into, it was unlikely John would either. He had seemed alarmingly concered about what Will had been so interested in. A bit too concerned. Will had decided, he was going to do this on his own.

Will walked through the house one last time, savouring the sights, smells and noises. It was time to move on. Emotions teetered precariously inside of him, ready to overwhelm him at a moments notice. He was disappointed he had to leave so early but at the same time he was eager to complete his goals.

He heard John pull up at the kerb. Will returned Treecko and Riolu to their Poke balls and took one final look back at his childhood home before getting into the car.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone.  
Much more Pokemon in this one! Will finally begins his quest for the Hall of Fame. I hope you enjoy it!  
~ bigwilly**

Three days of training followed for Will and his team and before he knew it, it was time to leave for the first Gym Tournament. Will was confident in his abilites and the abilities of his Pokemon. John was very keen to see Will follow in the footsteps of his father and while he wasn't a potent battler, he had years of study under his belt and the knowledge he possessed made him an invaluable tutor.

The Gym Challenge layout had been the first thing John had taught Will. There were eight Gyms spread across the Oceania region, each one more difficult that the last. Level limits enforced at each Gym ensured each stage of difficulty. The limits were progressively higher with each gym; 15, 20, 30, 35, 45, 50, 60 and 75. The top four from each tournament won a cash prize but the winner would be granted a battle with the Gym Leader and, if victorious, would earn a Badge. Winning all eight Badges would not only grant free access to the Oceania Pokemon Championships but also a name in the legendary Hall of Fame. Having your name in the Hall of Fame was one of the highest honors achievable. All eight tournaments were held consecutively over a period of two weeks, the cycle repeating endlessly up until December 27th, upon which the Championships start. The champion is crowned on the 31st in conjunction with the new year. This was the same for each world region. Quite a lot to take in for one person.

Next came the actual training. Will knew he was primarily an offensive battler which meant that speed and power were essential. Lucky for him, he had just the right Pokemon. The resources at John's house proved vital. An indoor weights gym helped the team increase their strength while the courtyard out back could be easily set up for agility exercises. Plus, it made for a great battlefield when Jack or Daniel came over. Will could not be more grateful that he had a wealthy Pokemon researcher as an uncle.

Will, Jack and Daniel sat around the dining room table at Will's house. The clatter of silverware and the crunch of food were abundant as the three boys devoured their stirfry meal. No one talked. Tomorrow, Will, John and Dominic left for New Zealand, where Will would battle in the Christchurch Gym Tournament.

They finished their meal and sat there in silence, three very close friends enjoying the company of one another as they had since they'd met almost 10 years ago. Daniel broke the tension by belching loudly. The boys erupted with laughter as John walked in. The laughter died down almost immediately.

"You need to go to bed soon," he said wearily. Will could tell he was stressed, tired too. He'd been like this for the last couple of days. Was it in any way connected to the findings Will had made at his old house?

"Really?" whined Will. "What about-"

"NO!"

John's sudden outburst made everyone jump. It wasn't often he yelled like that. The three boys glanced at each other before staring at their feet.

John sighed. "I'm sorry but you really need to get some sleep. I think I do too." He rubbed his eyes as he walked from the room. "We leave here at 6am."

There was another moment of silence at the table. Will exhaled slowly.

"I think you'd better go," he said to his companions.

"Yeah," said Jack quickly.

They stood up. "Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for having us."

They moved to the door. "Sorry about John," said Will.

Jack just shrugged. "It happens."

"We'll watch you on TV," said Daniel, referring to the Gym tournament.

Will nodded. "I know."

"Good luck."

The trio embraced before Will headed back upstairs. He showered quickly and it wasn't until he had got into bed that he realised how exhausted he was. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his team next to him in their beds on the floor.

The flight from Brisbane to Christchurch took three hours, during most of which Will was asleep. He gazed sleepily over the rolling green landscape as they arrived and rembered the time his father had brought him to New Zealand when he was 10, during the winter, and taught him how to snowboard. That was a long time ago but Will could still ride the black runs like a pro, even if he did stack it every now and again.

They passed through customs and baggage and caught a taxi to their hotel, which was simple yet comfortable in every way. Lunch was some quick and easy sandwiches and then it was time for a quick nap before they had to check in at the arena at 5pm. Will was dressed in beige trousers with a green t-shirt and black canvas shoes. They reached the stadium and proceeded around the side, to the outdoor courtyard where the first round would be played. Four arenas were marked out on the ground. John confirmed Will's reservation at the front desk and left for the spectators area with Dominic, while Will had his Pokemon scanned to make sure they didn't exceed the level limit. When that was finished, he sat down in the orientation room, along with the 31 other competitors. There was minimal talking between the competitiors as they sized each other up. Any one of them could be potential opponents. While the majority were older than Will, he counted about 6 or 7 who were younger. Will took a deep breath and tried to look calm.

A Gym official stood at a podium, his hair neatly trimmed and his tie perfectly straight.

"Ahem. Welcome everyone to the Christchurch Gym Challenge," he said. "Tonight, we will be hosting the first round of battles." He gestured to a round glass ball next to him, filled with pieces of paper folded tightly. "Each of you will draw a number from the ball here and be placed on the tournament ladder in correlation to the number." A ladder appeared on the screen behind him. "As you can see, where you are placed on the ladder will determine your opponents." He took a breath. "The rules are simple. Before each match, each competitor will select two out of their three Pokemon to battle. There is a one hour time limit for each battle. If you use the Pokemon you have not selected to battle, you are disqualified. Whoever has all their Pokemon fainted first will lose. If you lose, you are eliminated from the tournament. Now, when your name is called, please come up and draw a number."

Each person went up and drew their number and each person was stared down by the crowd. A few caved under the gaze of so many and a few stood arrogantly as they reached into the glass ball. Will's name was called. He walked up onto the stage as 31 pairs of eyes stared at him and reached into the ball, grasping a piece of paper with slightly sweaty hands. He pulled his hand out, unfolded the paper and found himself staring at the number 12. He looked up at the screen eagerly and watched as his name appeared in the box next to the number 12. His match didn't start until 7pm, an hour and a half away.

Thankful that he wasn't one of the first battlers, Will wandered over to a food stand and bought a small salad roll. He ate it slowly, listening to the noises around him. He wasn't sure how to put it but he could've sworn his hearing was clearer than it was yesterday. Not that it mattered too much. What did matter was that he'd only entered the tournament with two Pokemon. While he had to guess which two out of three Pokemon his opponents would use, he would have to use the same two Pokemon in every battle. Would it cost him the tournament?

Will looked up and saw a man walking towards him with his head down, absorbed in his mobile phone. Another man to his right was was talking to someone as he walked with a tray of food. Will wasn't sure how but he knew they were going to crash into each other.

He started forward but was a fraction too late as the scene that had played out in his head, played out in reality. The man with the phone looked up right as he bumped into the man with the tray. They tray dropped out of the man's hands but before it could hit the ground, Will darted forward and caught it. The men stared.

"Nice reflexes," said the man as Will handed the tray back to him without a word. "Thanks."  
Will nodded an walked off, slightly stunned. What had happened just then? He had seen both men walking, amidst a large crowd, and somehow pieced together what was going to happen…before it happened. And then he'd managed to catch the tray before it hit the floor. His observation skills weren't that good and neither were his reflexes. A day ago, he would never have been able to do that. Weird.

"Will!"

Will looked up and saw John and Dominic walking towards him. "Hi guys."

"How are you feeling, Will?" asked John.

"A little nervous."

"That is entirely normal for someone like yourself, participating in a Gym tournament for the first time."

Will shrugged.

John frowned. "Something bothering you?"

Will tugged at his shirt sleeve anxiously. "It's probably nothing but something weird happened."

"Weird?" asked Dom. "Like what?"

"Like I just looked up and I noticed these two men walking and I knew they were going to bump into each other. And when they did, I managed to catch the tray one of them was holding."

"That sounds cool!"

"It sure does," murmured John quietly.

Will looked at his uncle. He was staring intently at the ground. A troubled look briefly flickered over his face, so brief Will wasn't sure if he was seeing things or not. "John?" he said.

John quickly looked back up and he appeared completely normal again. "It sounds like you have quite the observation skills."

"I guess so," Will replied warily. His uncle had seen something in what Will had just described. Something he was hiding. Will turned away.

A chime blared out overhead, signalling the beginning of the first matches. Will and his family wandered over to one of the stands and sat, watching as the holographic barriers shimmered and came to life around each of the four arenas situated in the stadium. Will paid no attention to the battles, however. He was locked in his own mind.

Something was happening to his life. His father was some sort of agent, his uncle was hiding secrets from him and Will himself was developing weird abilities. First when he noticed all the scratches in the floorboards at his old house. Second when he thought his hearing was clearer than usual. And finally when he managed to practically see something before it happened. _And _all the times he'd seen things out of the corner of his eye. Was he going mad? Did he have a disease? What was going on?

He must have been sitting there for longer than he thought because next thing he knew, Dominic was shaking him and saying it was time for him to battle soon. Will glanced at his watch. The boy was right, he was scheduled to battle in ten minutes. Will got up and headed over to the arena. The previous battle had ended and a screen high up on the wall to his left showed his face and that face of his opponent, a young man named Clyde Schafer.

Ten minutes passed, during which Schafer appeared at the other end of the arena. He looked to be in his early twenties with short blonde hair and dark rimmed glasses. He wore a loose flannelette shirt with jeans. He had a concentrated look on his face. The referee stood on a raised platform to Will's right. Will walked up onto his own small platform at his end of the arena.

The chime rang out across the battlefield, signalling the beginning of the 7pm matches.

"Please select your Pokemon for this battle by placing them in the slots," he said, gesturing to the circular indents in the bar around the players platform. Will did so and mechanical sounds could be heard as the Pokemon were registered. Will assumed that they showed up on the small screen that the referee had in front of him. He repocketed one Pokeball, leaving one in his hand.

"Excellent," called the referee. "You may start!"

Will took a deep breath for about the hundredth time that day. He pressed the button on the Pokeball and called out, "Go Growlithe!"

Growlithe burst from the Pokeball, appearing on the battlefield in a flash of white. She growled and bared her fangs.

Schafer pushed his glasses up onto his nose and called out meekly, "Buizel!"

What looked like a cross between a weasel and a sea otter appeared on the field. Sleek orange fur covered its body and the fins on its forearms shone blue. Its two split tails spun around behind it and the yellow ring around it's neck was inflated. Its head darted from side to side as it took in its surroundings and quickly locked onto Growlithe.

Will relaxed. He was in his element here, this was where he belonged. All thoughts about secrets and lies were pushed out of his head as his mind focused solely on the one thing that was happening right now. The battle. The battle he was going to win.

Schafer, seeing the type advantage he had, wasted no time. "Quick Attack!" he cried out.

Buizel darted forward, moving so fast it was barely visible. Will just grinned.

The battle had begun.


End file.
